Insider’s Vietnam

Arrive Hanoi, drive to Ky Son Village homestay

On arrival in Vietnam, you'll be met by your private guide and driven out of the city to Ky Son. On arrival in Ky Son enjoy a stroll around the village, soaking up the traditional North Vietnamese culture and lifestyle, before joining your host to help prepare lunch. Take your pick of bike routes, ranging from 6-12 km along local trails, stopping to enjoy the impressive panoramas, pick herbs and vegetables, visit temples, chat with locals, and visit the village market. Return to the house in time for a relaxing herbal bath and a home cooked meal.

Yi Jin Jing exercise, village stroll, local bike ride

As soon as you’ve downed your first cuppa of the day, join in with some traditional Yi Jin Jing exercises to wake up body and mind. Stroll around Ky Son Village to the bee house, the kindergarten and the local market. You can choose to help the farmers with a spot of ploughing, marking rice beds, or harvesting, or take part in a cookery class. Unwind with a traditional herbal hand massage after lunch, then take time to chat with your host family and pick up a few handy Vietnamese phrases. Embark upon an afternoon bike ride along local paths, stopping to chat with villagers you meet along the way. Mai Chau - 2 nights A couple of hours drive south and tucked between two steep cliffs sits the beautiful Mai Chau valley. This corner of rural Vietnam is still untroubled by mass tourism, and is a place where - give or take the occasional smartphone - life continues much as it has for hundreds of years. Depending on the season, you’ll find the landscape awash with waves of vivid green rice paddies that turn to soft gold just before harvest. Work your legs with a cycle through the rolling hills, stay in a traditional lodge, and learn more about the region’s enduring traditions.

Drive to Mai Chau

Keep your camera at the ready as you drive into the rural landscape around Mai Chau to enjoy some light trekking, find local villages, explore caves, or simply relax in one of the most picturesque regions in Vietnam. If there’s time, work up an appetite with a cycle between the rolling hills and traditional stilt-house settlements, before returning to the lodge for dinner and a traditional dance performance by members of the local Thái tribe.

Pu Luong Nature Reserve Trek

Pu Luong nature reserve is a well kept secret, still off the traditional tourist trail. Explore its forested hillsides and rice paddies on foot, soaking up the atmosphere of enduring tradition, and the routines of daily life in local Thái and Muong tribal communities. Trek along the Cham Stream, passing traditional wooden water wheels still used for irrigation, before driving back to Mai Chau with plenty of time to freshen up before dinner. Ninh Binh - 2 nights Ninh Binh city is a somewhat unremarkable place in itself - just a sleepy, provincial town along the banks of a quiet river - but it makes a convenient base from which to explore the dramatic landscape of lakes, rivers, caves and limestone karsts in the wider region (also called Ninh Binh) which is often referred to as ‘Halong on land’.

Drive to Ninh Binh, Sampan cruise

After a morning’s journey east, you’ll get to Ninh Binh in perfect time to head to the Ben Dang River and board a sampan for an afternoon cruise. Disembark to explore the atmospheric grottos of Thien Ha Cave, both on foot and by boat along underground waterways, then cruise a little further by sampan to the But Cave for more subterranean exploration.

Cycle, hands-on farming, wetlands sampan cruise

Cycle around the outskirts of Ninh Binh, between paddy fields, pagodas and small hamlets, and pause at a morning market. Once in Vuon Thi village, you’ll meet your hosts for the day. This local family will, along with your guide, help you participate in a ‘hands on’ morning, learning their daily routines. Prepare lunch together, and enjoy typical rural dishes as you chat (with your guide’s help and translation!). Head into the fields to learn traditional rice cultivation and fishing techniques, before making a short journey to the Van Long River to hop aboard another sampan for a reservoir cruise through the Van Long Nature Reserve - an expanse of wetlands is home to over 70 species of birdlife including egrets, storks and kingfishers. This hidden gem is just as beautiful as the better-known Tam Coc, but with a fraction of the crowds. Halong Bay - 2 nights One of Asia’s most famous natural wonders, not to mention being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Halong Bay is shrouded in myth. Explore the bay aboard a traditional junk – the same style of boat that has sailed the bay for 100s of years – meandering between jagged limestone karsts, venturing into hidden caves and stopping at floating fishing villages, while enjoying the leisurely pace of life on the water. Early risers might start the day with a Tai Chi class, as the sun rises over the bay and the sound of sea birds fills the air.

Halong Bay Cruise

After an early breakfast it's a four hour drive to Halong Bay, passing through a number of typical North Vietnamese towns and villages.Local legend tells how the gods sent dragons to Halong to defend the country from invasion, and the dragons spat out gemstones that turned into islands, creating a wall against the enemy. The truth is almost as evocative as the legend, with the bay displaying one of the most beguiling natural scenes you will ever witness. Cruise at a gentle pace, disembark onto smaller boats to venture into grottos and caves, stop to explore floating fishing villages and picturesque lookout points, and dine on beautifully prepared fresh seafood. Each junk operates with a slightly different itinerary and on board facilities, so chat with us to choose the one that’s right for you.

Continue your junk cruise

Enjoy a second day on board your Halong junk. A two night cruise offers the opportunity to journey deeper into the Bay, exploring caves, islets and fishing villages that are away from the day-trippers, and consequently less busy. Hanoi - 2 nights Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, ranks amongst the most visually stunning cities in the world. Streets full of greenery wind between grand buildings, spacious parks, museums, temples, markets and shops, unifying the town’s many elements. Elegant pagodas rise above the infamously chaotic traffic below, exemplifying the two extremes of Hanoi’s character. Head into the centre for a visceral night-time food tour, meeting vendors and tasting an array of northern Vietnamese specialities; cycle around the city’s peaceful lakeside, stopping in the shade of an ancient temple; and join the locals for a late night beer.

Cruise back to the mainland, drive to Hanoi

Wake early to the calls of Halong's seabirds nesting around the limestone karsts, and begin the day with a Tai Chi or cooking class on deck as the sun rises. While you enjoy brunch, the junk will slowly turn back towards the mainland where you’ll be driven to Hanoi and spend the remainder of your day at leisure.

Street food & city tour

Enjoy a full day tour with a difference, combining Hanoi’s main sights with a foodie tour of the city. Over the course of the day you’ll stop by Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature, and immerse yourself in the city’s Old Quarter. Hanoi's residents are famous for their love of local cuisine, and along the way you’ll taste delicious seafood, sample bánh cuon noodles and slurp some of the best pho in the world. Phu Quoc - 3 nights This teardrop-shaped island in the Gulf of Thailand has a heavy history, going from 17th century strategic stronghold to French colonial plantation and then a POW detention centre during the Vietnam war. These days, however, the island is famous for its chilled out atmosphere, long stretches of unblemished sand, and its jungle-covered interior. Despite a new international airport and a number of new properties springing up (notably on Long Beach), Phu Quoc remains relatively undeveloped and is perfect for a few blissful days of relaxation away from the crowds. Your entire stay here will be at leisure.

Fly to Phu Quoc

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Phu Quoc, where, on arrival you will be driven to your beach resort. Time for some serious R&R!

Enjoy a few days on the beach.

Your days will be at leisure to relax on the beach and make the most of the hotel's facilities.

Fly to Ho Chi Minh City & depart

Transfer to the airport for your domestic flight to Ho Chi Minh City and connecting onward flight.